Run Django app on Webhosting or Managed Server

Introduction

In this tutorial we will learn how to run a Python Django app on Hetzner Webhosting or Hetzner Managed Server. Django is a python web framework. By default it runs on WSGI (interface between webserver and application), but mod_wsgi is not available on the managed Apache server. Nevertheless, there are different ways to convert the WSGI to other compatible interfaces.

Prerequisites

• Webhosting with SSH support (>= Level 9) or Managed Server with enabled SSH access

Step 1 - Install dependencies

Step 1.1 - Install and enable virtualenv

pip3 install --break-system-packages virtualenv
mkdir /usr/home/holu/virtualenvs
python3 -m virtualenv /usr/home/holu/virtualenvs/example_com
. /usr/home/holu/virtualenvs/example_com/bin/activate

Step 1.2 - Install Django

Install the framework Django.

pip install django

Step 1.3 - Install Flup (Optional, required for FastCGI)

Install the wsgi-to-fcgi flup server.

pip install flup

Step 2 - Create and configure your Django project

Step 2.1 - Start project

Create the project directory and start the project.

mkdir  /usr/home/holu/djangoprojects
env -C "/usr/home/holu/djangoprojects" django-admin startproject example_com

Step 2.2 - Configure project

Add all requesting domains to the ALLOWED_HOSTS variable to allow the access.

vim /home/holu/djangoprojects/example_com/example_com/settings.py 

Hit i to switch to "insert mode" and add all requesting domains:

ALLOWED_HOSTS = ['example.com']

Hit esc the switch back to "command mode" and enter :wq to save and exit.

Step 3 - Prepare document root of webserver

Create an empty website directory and change the document root in konsoleH.

mkdir -p /usr/home/holu/public_html/example_com

Step 3 Option 1 - FastCGI

Create .htaccess

Create .htaccess with the content below.

vim /usr/home/holu/public_html/example_com/.htaccess

Hit i to switch to "insert mode".

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
  RewriteEngine On
  RewriteBase /
  RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
  RewriteRule ^(.*)$ djangoapp.fcgi/$1 [QSA,L]
</IfModule>

Hit esc the switch back to "command mode" and enter :wq to save and exit.

Create ".fcgi"-script

Create djangoapp.fcgi with the content below.

vim /usr/home/holu/public_html/example_com/djangoapp.fcgi

#!/usr/home/holu/virtualenvs/example_com/bin/python

import sys
import os
import django
from flup.server.fcgi import WSGIServer
from django.core.handlers.wsgi import WSGIHandler

sys.path.append("/usr/home/holu/djangoprojects/example_com")
os.environ['DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE']="example_com.settings"

django.setup(set_prefix=False)
WSGIServer(WSGIHandler()).run()

Set the executable bit for the owner.

chmod 744 /usr/home/holu/public_html/example_com/djangoapp.fcgi

Step 3 Option 2 - CGI

Create .htaccess

Create .htaccess with the content below.

vim /usr/home/holu/public_html/example_com/.htaccess

Hit i to switch to "insert mode".

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
  RewriteEngine On
  RewriteBase /
  RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
  RewriteRule ^(.*)$ djangoapp.cgi/$1 [QSA,L]
</IfModule>

Hit esc the switch back to "command mode" and enter :wq to save and exit.

Create ".cgi"-script

Create djangoapp.cgi with the content below.

vim /usr/home/holu/public_html/example_com/djangoapp.cgi

#!/usr/home/holu/virtualenvs/example_com/bin/python

import sys
import os
import django
import wsgiref.handlers
from django.core.handlers.wsgi import WSGIHandler

sys.path.append("/usr/home/holu/djangoprojects/example_com")
os.environ['DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE']="example_com.settings"

django.setup(set_prefix=False)
wsgiref.handlers.CGIHandler().run(WSGIHandler())

Set the executable bit for the owner.

chmod 744 /usr/home/holu/public_html/example_com/djangoapp.cgi

Step 4 - Test

Test it by visiting your domain. You should see something like on the screenshot below.

Conclusion

Now you can deploy your Django apps on the managed OS.

• Django documentation

License: MIT